Rattle's repertoire has never ceased to raise eyebrows. He is not hooked on classics, preferring to mix the timeless masters with new and avant-garde composers. Result: demanding but inspirational programmes. Mark-Anthony Turnage and conductor Daniel Harding number among his prot�g�s.

Don't underestimate the value of his wild, frizzy locks. Hip but not hippy, Rattle's hairstyle is his calling-card and speaks volumes about the man himself. Demonstrative yet informal, he has skilfully managed to avoid the risible "classical rebel" territory staked out by Nigel Kennedy.

By all accounts the man is modesty personified. He shuns the tyrannical dictator-conductor image in favour of a more humble, self-effacing, laid-back persona. A keen exponent of Brahms's words of wisdom: "Practice one hour less every day and read one more good book."

He's a hard worker, with more than 50 recordings under his belt during his tenure at the CBSO and numerous guest appearances with ensembles such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra. It's always been this way for Rattle, who as a 14-year-old schoolboy in Liverpool, assembled a small orchestra of local musicians to conduct.

He is no stranger to hotel rooms, in his quest to spread the name of the CBSO far and wide. In the last 12 months the ensemble has toured the United States, Japan, Brazil, Argentina and Austria. Rattle even challenged any other orchestra to top the CBSO's travel schedule, but has yet to hear of a serious contender.

Sir Simon's romantic life has been tinged with trauma, if not tragedy. It's a mark of Rattle's "rock star" status that when his first marriage, to soprano Elise Ross, hit the rocks, it was a hot topic in the gossip columns. Ross now lives in San Francisco with their two children. Rattle has remarried and lives in London.

From Brum to Vienna. Rattle has not signed up to any particular orchestra, preferring to remain a free agent for the next "eight to 10 years". But he already has commitments with the Vienna Philharmonic and the Berlin Philharmonic, and the period-instrument ensemble Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.